Documentaire Migration

Dear Wemakeit Community,

Happy New Year! We wish you all a peaceful, inspiring, and delightful 2026!

Unfortunately, the planned film screening on 26 January 2026 cannot take place as planned. We need to ask you for a little more patience. We need to sort out some rather dry administrative issues until we can finally share the complete film with you. As soon as we have set a new date for the film screening, we will get back to you.

In the meantime, we would like to share some updates with you:

• We are extremely happy to extend the Co-Production team: to accompany the film «Dem-Dem Exodus» officially as Co-Producers, Siby Sow and Charlotte Meisner have founded their own production houses, Dem-Dem Sow and Wisdom & Care, in Switzerland. With Djibril Ndoye’s Livres du Monde we have found a Co-Producer in France. Together with Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye’s MMN PICTURES Dakar, we are now four Co-Producers in three countries, on two continents.

• We have organized two events with international guests at ETH Zurich:

ETH NADEL «Reimagining Africa» with Prof. Felwine Sarr & MIGRATION ET HOSPITALITÉ Conversation avec Siby Sow, Felwine Sarr et Kim Thúy

If you could not attend, please find here the recording of the first event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lp5h8i8NUs&t=117s ETH NADEL «Reimagining Africa» with Prof. Felwine Sarr

The recording of the second event with a new film trailer is forthcoming.

• In addition to the finalization of the co-production contract and the post-production of the film, our next steps include the launch of a website, and the filing of release agreements from any person filmed for compliance with international standards. This documentation includes several trips to Senegal and Italy. Siby has already collected most of the necessary agreements. We are currently retracing people without fixed addresses.

• We are in touch with renowned Senegalese artists for the acquisition of film music.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your continued support, care, and patience. Things are moving forward, albeit slowly, since we all handle this project next to our jobs and families.

The film will be completed soon and take us a step further towards a more connected and more hospitable world.

With all our best wishes for the New Year!

Siby, Cheikh Tidiane, Djibril, and Charlotte

Dear Wemakeit Community,

We hope this message finds you well!

How can we raise our voices for hope and solidarity? How can we build bridges and overcome the mental and material barriers that keep us apart? How can we engage in academic discourse together with civil society?

Let’s do it together! Thanks to your generous support, we were able to complete the interviews and recordings in Senegal for our documentary Dem-Dem Exodus, and to produce a new trailer — which will be presented during the event Migration & Hospitalité on 23 October.

We are delighted to invite you to two public events at ETH Zurich:

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📘 Reimagining Africa – with Felwine Sarr (in English) 🗓️ 22 October 2025, 18:00 📍 ETH Zurich, HG E 3, Rämistrasse 101

👉 Event information 👉 Registration form

Join us for an open conversation with Prof. Felwine Sarr, exploring the ideas behind his book Afrotopia and their relevance today.

🎬 Migration et Hospitalité – Conversation avec Siby Sow, Felwine Sarr et Kim Thúy (en français) 🗓️ 23 octobre 2025, 18h15 📍 ETH Zurich, PBLabs RZ D8, Clausiusstrasse 59 (en français, sans inscription)

Présentation du nouveau trailer de Dem-Dem Exodus. Pour quelles raisons nous déplaçons-nous et dans quelles conditions ? Quelle place accorder à l’hospitalité et à la dignité ? Comment restaurer les relations et développer des perspectives de vie commune ? Lors de cette soirée, nous croiserons les regards artistiques, philosophiques et littéraires sur les mouvements des humains.

Both events will be followed by an apéro — we would be delighted to see you there!

With warm regards, Siby, Cheikh Tidiane & Charlotte

Dear Backers, dear Wemakeit community, We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported our storytelling project «DemDem. The great exodus». We want to tell the true story of Pape Tamsir a young man from Senegal who lost his life in a shipwreck on the Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach Europe. Our aim is to raise awareness for the dangers of these journeys, to shed light on the existing challenges and possible solutions regarding our common life on this planet, and to open spaces for conversations that connect communities. You made this dream possible. Here is an update on the project: • Siby Sow is currently in Dakar working day and night with the local production company • Extended interviews with Matar, Pape Tamsir’s cousin, have been conducted at Pointe Sarène. Matar traveled with Pape Tamsir and survived the shipwreck. He saved Pape Tamsir’s life twice, before he finally drowned. • During the interview, Matar shares his perspective on the journey. • Matar and Siby had the opportunity to exchange with students from Cheikh Anta Diop University Dakar and to collect testimonials regarding their wishes and dreams for the future. • Footage from Île de Gorée, the prison island and starting point of slavery transports from Dakar, has been produced and integrated into the film. • Test samples of automated subtitles for the interviews conducted in Wolof have been produced. All this would not have been possible without the extensive support of so many people. Whether it is by donating money or know-how, or time, or care, or attention, or a contact, or even just a thought or a shared conversation…the ways to support this mission are manifold and we value all of them equally. We are deeply touched by your profound care and enthusiasm for our project. We will get back to you as soon as possible with further updates and are looking forward to sharing the very first raw-cut version of the film exclusively with our support community. Thank you so much for carrying forward our common mission! All the best, Siby, Cheikh Tidiane & Charlotte